other species, ranging from grasses, palms, and palmettos
to Cecropia and Miconia species (plate 14- 7). Compared
with the nearby tropical moist forest nestled within the
protective (and moister) Maya Mountains, the pine
savanna is an area of low species richness and a simpler,
more arid and rugged- looking ecosystem. During the dry
season, which extends from about February through most
of May, the pine savanna is subject to occasional fires, the
evidence of which can be seen as charred stumps and
burned bark on many of the pines throughout the region.
In this area, fire is an important ecological influence, a
factor that provides the key ingredient in maintaining the
dominance of savanna.
Wildlife is less diverse in this savanna than in the
interior lowland moist forest, but many animal species
typical of forest occasionally range into savanna,
including boa constrictors and Jaguars. The pine savanna
is inhabited by Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus),
Tayra (Eira barbara), and White- tailed Deer (Odocoileus
virginianus), as well as numerous bird species.The Brazilian Cerrado
The largest area of Neotropical savanna vegetation,
the cerrado, occurs in central Brazil, forming a wide
belt across the country from northeast to southwest.
Cerrado occurs on acidic, deep, sandy soil and is
characterized by small, often widely spaced trees and
shrubs on grassland. Vegetation includes numerous
endemic plant species, and the structure ranges from
open woodlands with a 4– 8 m (14– 27 ft) tall canopy
to dense scrub thicket (plate 14- 8). Cerrado soils
are nutrient poor, and crop yields are dramatically
increased when soil is fertilized with trace elements.Plate 14- 7. Pine savanna in southern Belize. Photo by John
Kricher.
Plate 14- 8. Dense dry woodland of low- stature trees
characterizes areas of natural cerrado. Note the tall cactus
plants. Photo by John Kricher.Plate 14- 9. Terrestrial bromeliads, shown here in the
foreground, are common plants on cerrado. Photo by John
Kricher.
Plate 14- 10. The Purplish Jay (Cyanocorax cyanomelas) may be
seen in dry cerrado woodland, especially near rivers. Photo by
John Kricher.254 chapter 14 don’t miss the savannas and dry forests